Seth Wessler

Sami Al- Arian Released on Bond

Political Prisoner Sami Al-Arian was released on bond yesterday after spending over 5 years in immigration detention.

The AP reports:

A former Florida professor once accused of being a leading Palestinian terrorist was released from custody Tuesday for the first time in more than five years…

Sami Al-Arian was being held by immigration officials as he awaited trial on charges of refusing to testify before a grand jury about a cluster of Muslim organizations in northern Virginia.

A jury acquitted him on some charges in 2005 and were deadlocked on others. He eventually struck a plea bargain and admitted to lesser charges of conspiring to aid the PIJ by helping a family member with links to the group get immigration benefits and by lying to a reporter about another person’s links to the PIJ.

He was sentenced to nearly five years in prison.

To stay up to date on Al-Arian’s case and the struggle to secure justice check out, http://www.freesamialarian.com/home.htm

Posted at 6:44 AM, Sep 03, 2008 in Detention | Permalink | View Comments